SECTION 1: ABOUT HEPATITIS

Transcription

1

2 SECTION 1: ABOUT HEPATITIS Hepa33s Means Swollen Liver Many things can cause your liver to become swollen, including drinking a lot of alcohol; taking certain medica3ons or herbs; inhaling toxic fumes; autoimmune diseases that cause the immune system to akack healthy 3ssue in the body; or infec3ons, including viral hepa33s.

3 Viral Hepa33s There are six different types: A, B, C, D, E, and G. Each of these viruses acts differently Most people who have viral hepa33s don t know it, most don t have any symptoms But some people do have jaundice (yellow skin and eyes), appe3te loss, nausea, vomi3ng, dark urine and pale stool, fever, aches, fa3gue, and liver or abdominal swelling

4 Hepa33s A (HAV) Usually not serious, but it can make some people feel very ill There are no treatments because the body usually clears the virus by itself Most people will recover without treatment It rarely causes liver damage HAV is very rarely fatal

5 Hepa33s B (HBV) and Hepa33s C (HCV) Two most serious hepa33s viruses Some people can clear HBV and HCV without treatment But most will become chronic (lifelong) infec3ons Treatments are available, and some people can even be cured Not everyone with chronic HBV or HCV will need treatment Some people will develop serious liver damage, liver cancer, or liver failure if they go without treatment, although this takes many years Most deaths from liver disease are caused by chronic HBV and HCV

6 Hepa33s D (HDV) Only happens in people who already have HBV Some people may have been infected with both viruses at the same 3me A person cannot get HDV unless they already have HBV 20 percent of people will clear HDV without treatment 80 percent will develop chronic HDV infec3on HDV worsens HBV, and can lead to cirrhosis (serious liver scarring that can lead to liver failure) or sudden liver failure

7 Hepa33s E (HEV) and Hepa33s G (HGV) HEV goes away without treatment, and owen has no symptoms Usually not serious, but can become life- threatening during pregnancy, par3cularly in the third trimester HGV, owen called GB virus C (GBV- C), does not make people sick or cause liver damage

8 Viral Hepa33s Can Cause Serious Liver Disease Chronic HBV and HCV are silent illnesses Usually, people do not have symptoms un3l they have serious liver damage, which takes many years to develop Many deaths from serious liver disease can be prevented with earlier diagnosis and treatment Learning more about viral hepa33s and sharing the informa3on with your community can help save lives

9 Vaccines Can Prevent HAV and HBV HAV and HBV can be prevented with vaccines There is no HCV vaccine; researchers are working to develop one People can become infected with more than one hepa33s virus at the same 3me, and they can also be coinfected with HIV Coinfec3on with more than one virus can make you sicker People who have chronic HCV or HIV should be vaccinated against HBV and HAV

10 GLOBAL HCV PREVALENCE: Who Has It? Worldwide, an es3mated 185 million people have HCV. Source: Global surveillance and control of hepa33s C. Report of a WHO consulta3on organized in collabora3on with the Viral Hepa33s Preven3on Board, Antwerp, Belgium. J Viral Hepat Jan;6(1):35 47.

11 GLOBAL HIV PREVALENCE: Who Has It? Worldwide, an es3mated 34 million people are HIV- posi3ve. Source: UNAIDS. Report on the global AIDS epidemic Available from: hkp:// Map_em.pdf

12 GLOBAL PREVALENCE OF HIV/HCV COINFECTION Approximately percent of people with HIV are coinfected with HCV In countries where injec<on drug use is the biggest risk factor for HIV transmission, as many as 7 in 10 people living with HIV are coinfected with HCV These include countries in Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East In countries where sexual behavior is the biggest risk factor for HIV transmission, HCV coinfec3on is less common, but s3ll a concern: about 1 in 10 people with HIV are coinfected with HCV

13 HCV IN THE UNITED STATES Even in the United States, there aren t enough reliable data on HCV, especially in key popula3ons such as people who inject drugs (PWID) The lack of reliable data is a barrier to figh3ng the HCV pandemic According to the Centers for Disease Control and Preven3on (CDC), approximately 3.2 million people in the United States have chronic HCV infec3on Hepa33s C is most common among baby boomers those born between 1945 and 1965 The majority of baby boomers were likely infected during the 1970s and 1980s, when rates were highest

14 HCV in the United States: African Americans and Mexican Americans Hepa33s C is more common among African Americans than Mexican Americans or white Americans (homeless and incarcerated people, who have high rates of HCV, were not included in this survey, nor was other informa3on about race or ethnicity) Overall, an es3mated 1.8% of people in the United States have been infected with HCV rates were twice as high in African Americans versus whites (3.0% vs. 1.5%) rates were lowest among Mexican Americans (1.3%) The highest rates of HCV were found among African American men between 40 and 49 years of age (13.6%) Source: Third Na3onal Health and Nutri3on Examina3on Survey (NHANES)

15 HCV and Social Condi3ons HCV is more common among: People with less than 12 years of educa3on Those living below the poverty line, regardless of race or ethnicity Studies in Maryland and California have reported rates (30% and 34%) that are far higher than that of the na3onal popula3on Experts es3mate that each year almost 1.5 million people with HCV go through correc3onal facili3es

16 ADVOCACY EXERCISE Discussion Ques<ons: Do you know someone who has goken sick from viral hepa33s? Do you know if you ve been vaccinated against HAV and HBV? Ac<on Steps: How can you use this training manual to share informa3on about viral hepa33s with others in your community? Do you know how to find more informa3on about HCV in your country or region?